Page 36 of Takedown in Savannah
The women gathered near the rear of the car, peering inside the neat-as-a-pin interior. Not a speck of dirt, dust or lint to be found.
“Nothing in here.” Carlita shut the trunk. “Luigi keeps his personal property in pristine condition.”
“I’m tidy, but he takes it to an entirely different level.” Dernice made her way to the driver’s side while Carlita headed around to the passenger side.
She slid onto the leather seat and ran a light hand over the dashboard, breathing in the new car smell. “It smells new, like leather.”
“Top of the line leather to boot.”
“But no cigarette smoke.”
“Luigi will never smoke in this car,” Dernice said. “It’s his baby. The front seats have both cooling and heating features, automatic dimming lights, not to mention some rad interior lights. They change colors, depending on your mood.” Dernice rattled off a few more of the features, all top-end extras.
“I bet he wouldn’t mind taking me for a ride sometime.” Carlita dangled her feet out the door, careful not to track dirt onto the new floor mats. “I’ll drive my first husband Vinnie’s 1977 Lincoln Town Car until the wheels fall off.”
“You’re styling in the Lincoln. It’s a classic. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. I wouldn’t be in any hurry to get rid of it.”
“It’s a tank, but still a very nice car. Like Luigi, Vinnie took good care of it.”
Dernice set the keys on the console. “Personally, I’ll take my Harley all day long over a car, but to each his own.” She began humming under her breath while flipping the visor down and searching under the seats.
The hair on the back of Carlita’s neck prickled, and she got the distinct feeling they were being watched. A whiff of cigarette smoke wafted past. She didn’t need to turn to know Luigi was standing nearby watching them.
Chapter 16
“It’s Luigi,” Carlita hissed under her breath.
Dernice momentarily froze before recovering nicely. “The speedometer is built into the windshield. This baby will tear down the road like nobody’s business, not that Luigi would tear down the road, but you know what I mean. Oh, hey.” She turned, as if noticing her boyfriend for the first time. “Luigi.”
“Hey, Dernice. Whatcha doing?”
“Carlita was admiring your car, so I figured I would show her all the rocking features it has.”
“It’s very luxurious yet sporty,” Carlita added. “Heated seats, upgraded leather, mood lighting. And it has the new-car smell.”
“She’s a beaut.” Luigi’s eyes filled with pride. “I’ve never owned a brand new car of my own.”
“I bet it can pick up and go.” Carlita patted the dashboard.
“You want me to give you a ride?”
“Sure. Whenever you have time. No hurry.”
The women exited the vehicle and stood admiring it with Luigi.
He rattled off a few more of the features Dernice hadn’t mentioned. All the while, Carlita wondered how he could afford such a high-end sports car on the salary Elvira paid him. She quickly dismissed her suspicions. He had owned his older sedan for as long as she could remember. For all she knew, he had saved every extra penny to put toward his new set of wheels.
“I bet you’re wondering how I can afford such a nice vehicle on the peanuts Elvira pays me,” Luigi said.
“The thought had crossed my mind.”
“I’ve been saving for a while, plus I took on a few small side jobs to make some extra dough.”
“You deserve all the nice things in life,” Carlita said sincerely. “I’m happy for you. Hopefully, this investigation will be wrapped up soon and you can get your job back.”
“Believe me, I would like nothing more.”
Dernice handed him the keys. “I hope you don’t mind me showing Mrs. T the inside.”
